Blueberry Pie
Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits to snack on. It can be hard to sacrifice so many to a pie but it’s always worth it. The lemon brings out the bright flavor of the berries and precooking half of the fruit helps the filling to thicken later once it cools. This pie can be made using either fresh or frozen blueberries but either way you should use fruit you know will be good.
The top crust needs some sort of venting in order to release steam, so I cut some circles using a cookie cutter. You could also achieve this with other cutouts or a lattice top. The pie is baked on top of a preheated baking sheet in order to help the bottom crust brown up. It also serves as a handy drip pan in case any of the filling bubbles over.
Blueberry Pie
Double-crust pie dough, chilled
6 cups blueberries
5 Tb cornstarch
1 tsp lemon zest
2 Tb lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 Tb butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
Coarse sugar (optional)
On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll the first round of pie dough out into about a 12-inch circle. As you are rolling the dough out, rotate 90° every few rolls, in order to maintain a circle. Brush any excess flour off of the dough. Fold the dough in half and transfer to a pie dish. Carefully drape the dough into place by lifting the edge of the dough with one hand while pressing into the plate bottom with the other hand. Take care not to stretch the dough into place. Place the dough lined pie dish in the refrigerator to chill. Lightly flour that same piece of parchment paper and roll out the second round of pie dough into about a 12-inch circle. With a small cookie cutter (or cap, etc), cut several small holes into the dough in a decorative pattern. Place the parchment paper, and the dough, in the refrigerator to chill.
Place a baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat the oven to 400°.
Place 3 cups of the blueberries in a medium saucepan and cook over medium to medium-high heat. Using the back of a large spoon or a rubber spatula, mash a few of the berries to release their juices. Stirring frequently, cook until about half of the berries have broken down and the mixture is reduced to about 1 ½ cups. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining 3 cups of blueberries, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Once the cooked berries have cooled, mix those in as well.
Transfer the berry mixture to the prepared pie dish and scatter the butter over the top. Dust any excess flour off the remaining sheet of dough. Fold in half and transfer to the pie dish, unfold and position it on top of the filling. Trim any overhanging dough that extends beyond about ½-inch over the lip of the dish. Pinch the two crusts together and tuck the overhang under itself, so that the folded edge is flush with the edge of the pie dish. Create a fluted edge using your fingers (see the pie dough recipe for an image).
Brush the crust with egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° and continue to bake for 30 – 40 minutes longer, until the fruit juices are bubbling and the crust is a nice golden brown.
Let the pie cool completely before serving.